VAT Refund Calculator
Free VAT refund estimator for tourists. Pick a country (or set a custom VAT rate), enter your purchase total, and see how much you should expect back after the refund agent's admin fee.
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VAT Refund for Android — 30+ countries, multi-currency, airport scan-and-go reminders.
How to Use This VAT Refund Calculator
- Pick the country where you shopped. The VAT rate fills in automatically.
- Enter the total amount you paid in-store (this is the price including VAT).
- Enter the admin fee your refund operator actually quotes, as a percentage of the VAT. It is in the operator's published terms, and it differs between operators and between cash and card payout.
How a VAT Refund Is Calculated
VAT is included in the sticker price. To find the VAT amount, divide the purchase by (1 + rate) to get the net price, then subtract.
refund = vat × (1 − admin fee%)
The "net price" output is what the item would cost without VAT — useful for comparing prices to non-VAT countries like the US.
Why your refund is smaller than the VAT rate
The most common surprise with tax-free shopping is that a 20% VAT rate does not mean 20% back. Refund operators take an administration fee, so what you actually receive is usually noticeably less than the headline VAT. On top of that, most countries set a minimum spend per shop or per receipt, require you to be a non-resident visitor taking the goods home unused, and expect you to get the paperwork validated by customs as you leave. This tool gives you a ballpark so the figure at the refund desk isn't a disappointment.
Across 20 years in IT support with colleagues across Asia, business trips meant someone was always shopping on the way home — and VAT refunds were endlessly misunderstood. People assumed "20% VAT, so I get 20% back," then felt short-changed when the operator's cut left them with noticeably less. Others missed the minimum spend, or — the classic — left it too late at the airport and couldn't get the forms stamped before the flight, so the refund evaporated entirely. None of it is complicated once you know the rules; the trouble is everyone learns them the expensive way the first time.
— Hill, 20 years in IT supportRefund rates, eligibility and minimum-spend thresholds vary by country and change often. Treat this as a rough estimate and confirm the exact terms with the retailer, the refund operator, or the customs desk before relying on it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible for a VAT refund?
Non-resident tourists leaving the country / region of purchase. Most schemes require you to export the goods within 30–90 days, present them at customs on departure, and meet a minimum purchase threshold.
Why is my refund less than the VAT rate?
The refund operator that processes your claim keeps a cut. Two separate charges do the work: a handling fee taken off the VAT, and a currency-conversion margin applied when the operator pays you in a currency other than the one you were charged in. Taking the refund as cash at the airport normally costs more than having it returned to the card you paid with. How much you lose depends on which operator handles the form and which payout method you choose, so read that operator’s published terms before you sign the form — no single percentage applies across operators. The calculator’s "admin fee" field lets you model whatever rate your operator actually quotes.
Does the UK still offer tourist VAT refunds?
Not in Great Britain. England, Scotland and Wales withdrew the VAT Retail Export Scheme on 1 January 2021, so there is no way to reclaim VAT on a high-street purchase when you leave. Northern Ireland still operates the scheme, with no minimum purchase value set by HMRC. Many other countries run their own schemes; the country list in this calculator covers the ones whose rules have been checked against the authority that administers them.
What do I actually need to do to claim it?
Typically: spend above the country's minimum in a participating shop, ask for a tax-free form at purchase, then get it validated by customs when you leave (often with the goods available to show), and submit it to the refund operator. Steps vary by country, so check locally before you travel.